Apparatus for tensioning and smoothing textiles



Feb. 18,1930. c, CRQWELL 1,747,755

APPARATUS FOR TENSIONING AND SMOOTHING TEXTILES Filed July 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ROLLS F'OF? APPLYING- AQUEOU ova-ms op FILLING MHTERIRL INVENTOR.

BY W W ATTORNEY Feb. 18, 1930.

C. H. CROWELL APPARATUS FOR TENSIONING AND SMOOTHING TEXTILES Filed July 7. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BY W 471% A TTORNEY Patented'Feb. is, 1930 PATENT. OFFICE CHARLES H. OROWELL, OF FAIRVILLE, PENE'SYLVANIA APPARATUS TENSIONING AND SMOOTHIN G TEXTILES Application filed July 7, 1927. Serial No. 208,894.

The invention relates in general to methods and apparatus for treating cloth and, more particularly, to a process and apparatus for tensioning smoothing, stretching and spreading a web of fabric prior to further treatment.

According to the invention a suitable guide roll is provided which may have arough surface over which the web of cloth is passed. One or more spreading rolls are provided over which the web is passedafter being passed over the guide roll, the spreading rolls operating to'smooth out the wrinkles, provide the tension necessary for subsequent processing and laterally spread and stretch the web.

' The guide roll and spreading rolls may be mounted in a suitable frame and the spreading rolls may be built in sections, one or more sections being used as the occasion demands. Each spreadlng roll may be made up of a shaft on which are detachably mounted sleeves havin suitable threads cut therein to exert the deslred spreading actionand tension on the web.

Vaf'ious other features and advantages of the invention will'be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

Althou h the novel features which are believed to e characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation' and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which,

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic'view of one form of apparatus with which the in- 4 vention maybe practiced; r

Fig. 2 is a detail showing one form the sections of spreading rolls may take and illustrating how the sections are fitted together; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fi 2,'illustrating the construction of the sprea ing rolls and section; 7

Fig. 4 is a section on theline 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail further illustrating the construction of-the spreading rolls; and

Fig. 6 is a modification showing a different shape the sections may take so that they may be easily vfitted together. V

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Llke re'ferencecharacters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings. 1

Referring now to Fig. 1, one form of ap- 6 paratus for practicing the invention is shown for purposes of illustration. Although there is shown a roll on which the cloth is packed and a particular form of treating rolls, it will be understood that the invention may be used with cloth packed in any way. such as in bales and also with any kind of treating apparatus.

In Fig. 1 the apparatus as shown comprises a suitable frame A in which is journaled the several rolls for performing the various func 7 tions. The apparatus comprises a suitable bundle roll 1, on which the web 2 of goods, which may be open mesh gray goods, is rolled, this bundle roll being disposed on a suitable shaft 3, the shaft being mounted in suitable guides 4 so that the surface of the roll always rests against the adjoining guide roll 5.

The guide roll 5 comprises a suitable cylinder' suitably journaled in the frame, and its surface 6 may be sanded or otherwise roughened in any desired manner.

Also suitably mounted in the frame A is a single section 7 of spreading rolls. Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, this section comprises end plates 8 suitably held together by rods 9, and three spreading rolls 10, these rolls being suitably journaled in the endplates 8. Each roll has a gear 13 overhung on its shaft meshing with the gear on the adjoining shaft. The two lower rolls are arranged in a horizontal plane and the upper roll is arranged perpendicular to a line joining the centers of the lower shafts and midway between the two lower rolls.

Each spreading roll 10 is made up of a shaft 14 having an enlarged mandrel or drum portion15 through the middle part of which a in 16 is provided, the ends of the drum 15 being suitably threaded. Detachably telescoped upon the-drum15 is a pair of sleeves i 17 ,each sleeve having notches 18 at its end 17 and the drum 15.

Each sleeve 17 is provided with a suitable helical thread 21, the thread on one sleeve being ri l t-handed and the thread on the other being eft-handed. The thread is shown as V- shaped in cross section, the side 24 of the thread facing the end of the roll being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the roll, and the other side 25 making an angle of 45 de rees therewith.

uitably ournaled in-the frame are subsequent treating rolls comprising the smaller rolls 26 and the larger rolls 27, the uppermost roll bein a winding roll 28 upon which the treated fa ric is wound. These treating rolls may be either dyeing or filling rolls, or may be used to give any desired treatment whatsoever. It will be understood that suitable sources of aqueous dyeing or filling mixture are provided for treating the web.

In case the single section 7 of spreading rolls shown in Fig. 1 is not sufiicient, a plurality of sections 7 of spreading rolls may be used, as shown in Fig. 2. The end plates 8 are generally triangular, and the plates may be fitted together as shown in Fig 2, with the gear 13 of each roll meshing the next gear of the chain.

In some cases it may be preferable to make sections of spreading rolls as shown in Fig. 6. In this modification each section 29 comprises a grou of four rolls 10'arranged at the corners o a rhomboid or diamond, the rolls being journaled in end plates 30 of similar shape. Each roll 10 is equally spaced from its immediately adjoining roll so that they can be driven by gears in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 2. The

sections are disposed as shown in Fig. 6, and any number may be used to give the desired action.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bundle roll 1 contacts the guide roll 5 so that the guide roll in rotating in the direction indicated, operates as a surface unwinder of the bundle roll. The several treating rolls 26 and 27 are shown maintaining substantial contact with each other and with the last spreading roll 10 so that each portion of the web has continuous rigid support throughout its treatment by the treating rolls, thus preventing shrinkage of the web. In other words, there is no space between adjoining treating rolls where the web unsupported may be allowed to shrink.

It will be understood that suitable driving devices are provided to drive the several rolls, the guide roll 5 being driven in the direction of web travel, and as indicated by the arrow. The spreading rolls 10 are preferably driven in the opposite direction to that of web travel as indicated by the arrows to properly tension the web for its subsequent processing. In some cases it may be desirable to have the spreading rolls rotate in the same direction as It will be understood that the Furthermore, any number of stretching rolls may be used to give the desired action, and the pitch of the threads may be changed and the rolls run at different speeds to provide the desired effect.

The provision of the guide roll allows the lateral position of the fabric to be controlled nicely. The uide roll prevents any side movement of t e fabric which might otherwise occur due to the web slipping over on to one side of the spreading rolls, so that it receives more action from the thread sleeves on one side than on the other.

The turning of the spreading rolls against the travel of the web produces a tension on the web and at the same time it holds the woof or cross threads perfectly straight, smoothin out all wrinkles and expanding the web to ta 1 normal width. This prevents any extra strain on the se'lvage edges and consequent bow shaping of the cross threads which might otherwise be caused by providin the necessary tension for processing the The combination of the spreading rolls and guide roll operates to give increased yardage without any drawing together or narrowing of the web and when used with the treating rolls which prevent shrinkage, the entire or ganization produces a superior product of maximum yardage.

Although certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions substitutions and changes in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. In combination, a plurality of treating rolls arranged in an upper and lower layer, the rolls in one layer eing staggered with respect to those in the other layer, said rolls being adapted to carr a web zi -zag back and orth between sai layers, eac 1 roll having a gear, said gears each meshing the gears of its adjoining rolls, said rolls being grouped into like sections, each section having its own bearin plates, said bearing plates and sec tions tting together, whereby any desired number of sections may be used according to I requirements.

2. In apparatus for treating an open mesh cloth web, a spreading roll having oppositely inclined helical spreading elements thereon, a guide roll immediately preceding said spreading roll and in substantial contact therewith, said guide roll having a guiding surface extending the entire working portion of the roll so that each ortion of the en mesh web across the web 1s effectively gui ed onto said spreading roll, and means for feeding said web from said guide roll directly onto said spreading roll.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES H. GROWELL. 

